Fallston tops Bel Air to stay unbeaten

Meredith Weinhold scored off her own rebound with eight minutes left in the first half and No. 2 Fallston hung on to defeat visiting Bel Air, 1-0, in a game of county unbeatens. It was the senior's seventh goal of the season.

Each has one county game remaining. Fallston (9-0, 6-0), which has clinched at least a tie in defense of its title, is at Joppatowne and Bel Air (7-2, 5-1) at C. Milton Wright, both Wednesday.

"She came out to clear the shot, but I got the rebound and put it back in," Weinhold said of Bel Air goalkeeper Erin Alex. In a junior varsity meeting two years ago, Weinhold also scored the game's only goal to beat Bel Air in overtime.

The teams played on even terms, with Bel Air's best scoring chances coming in the final seven minutes. During one brief flurry, Joie Acosta, who had the goal in Wednesday's 1-0 win over North Harford, had three successive shots, but Fallston goalkeeper Julie Clarke was equal to the challenge, kicking out all three.

Just before halftime, Clark had thwarted Becky Fox by kicking away a strong shot.

Clarke, in her first year with the sport, had borne the brunt of a new drill coach Alice Puckett had installed Thursday, as the keeper faced 150 shots.

"We made her work," Puckett said, "and she did a good job."

Of Bel Air, Clarke said: "I can honestly say that's the best I've been tested. Stopping those shots late in the game was a matter of reflexes."

For Clark, it has been an interesting fall. A soccer-basketball-softball player last year, she was invited out for hockey by coach Alice Puckett, who figured with the hand-eye coordination needed for the other sports, she could fill in at least as a backup goalkeeper.

She's been better than expected -- not giving up a goal until the seventh game (North Harford last week, where Fallston got the last four goals of a 4-1 win).

"The shots were placed right, they just didn't go in," Acosta said.

Defender Karen Wagner admitted Fallston was harder to defense than in the previous two years when it had a single outstanding scorer.

"This year, we noticed their goals were spread around, and we decided to mark them man-for-man," she said. "Especially in the second half, I thought we did a good job. I wish we'd have won, but I'm not disappointed. It was a good game."

Among those working with her at the defensive end were Diana Hooper and Kerri Kinsey.